Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa in Herbal Cosmeceuticals: Phytochemistry, Pharmacological Activities, Analytical Standardization, and Recent Advances—A Comprehensive Review

The increasing demand for natural and plant-based skincare products has accelerated the development of herbal cosmeceuticals that combine cosmetic benefits with scientifically validated therapeutic properties. Among medicinal plants, Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa (family Rutaceae), commonly known as bael, has attracted considerable attention because of its rich phytochemical composition and broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. Different parts of the plant, particularly the fruit, contain biologically active constituents such as coumarins, marmelosin, aegeline, flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, alkaloids, glycosides, and terpenoids that contribute to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, wound-healing, photoprotective, and anti-aging activities. These properties support its growing application in herbal cosmetic formulations including face serums, creams, gels, lotions, face masks, and topical therapeutic preparations. In addition to biological efficacy, analytical standardization using chromatographic techniques such as thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and hyphenated analytical techniques has become increasingly important for ensuring quality, safety, reproducibility, and regulatory compliance of A. marmelos-based formulations. This review comprehensively discusses the botanical characteristics, phytochemistry, pharmacological mechanisms, analytical standardization, formulation strategies, cosmeceutical applications, recent scientific advances, safety considerations, challenges, and future perspectives of A. marmelos in modern herbal skincare. The review also highlights opportunities for integrating traditional medicinal knowledge with advanced pharmaceutical technologies to develop standardized, evidence-based herbal cosmeceutical products.

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